Eric Stoll

In a sport where individual recognition is hard to come by, Eric Stoll left a major mark on the Washington College rowing program.

A graduate of South Kent School in Connecticut, Eric originally enrolled at Cornell College in Iowa, but transferred to Washington College after his freshman year so he could row with friends from South Kent.

Eric’s arrival at Washington College coincided with the rowing team’s elevation from club to varsity status. He spent three years rowing with the team, serving as a team captain as a senior. Eric was also named the team’s Most Valuable Rower as a senior and helped lead the Shoremen into their first two appearances at the prestigious Dad Vail Regatta. His rowing prowess resulted in him being used at every spot in the boat other than coxswain.

Eric graduated from Washington College in 1974, but returned to the school two years later as the head men’s rowing coach in the fall of 1976. In the past, the team had often been coached by dedicated individuals who had limited knowledge of the sport. Eric brought a level of expertise to the program that raised it to another level. He spent five seasons as the Shoremen’s head coach before moving on to become the head rowing coach at Villanova.

To this day, Eric Stoll remains an important figure in the rowing community. Following his time at Villanova, he served as the National Program Director and Associate Executive Director for the United States Rowing Association for six years. He spent 11 years as the Executive Director of the Indianapolis Rowing Center.

In 2006, Eric and his wife, Deborah, were presented with US Rowing’s Clayton W. Chapman Award, “presented annually to an individual who best emulates Mr. Chapman’s 30-year stewardship of the Eastern Sprints and IRA Championship regattas and who consistently serves in a behind-the-scenes, administrative role that has previously gone unrecognized.”

Washington College considers it an honor and privilege to induct Eric E. Stoll into its Athletic Hall of Fame on this fourth day of October, 2008.